Jewelweed and Enchanter’s Nightshade

This week was the first time this year that I noted a flowering Jewelweed, or Spotted Touch-Me-Not, Impatiens capensis, which is an annual that returns each year along the lane. Further down the lane is a patch of poison ivy that refuses to be cut back. A remedy for poison ivy rash is found in a poultice of crushed leaves or juice from the pre-flowering stems of Jewelweed. Isn’t it curious that these two plants are almost always found growing close to one another?

Asiatic Dayflowers were seen yesterday and will appear each day now for the remainder of the hot weather. They, too, are growing along the lane. Since the dog and I were taking a walk I didn’t carry the trusty camera, so I’ll have to come back for a few pictures to post here.

Another lane-side plant was noted by its terminal spike of two-petal flowers, Enchanter’s Nightshade, Circaea quadrisulcata. Each tiny white flower appears to have four petals but on closer inspection the deep clefts in each of two petals make it look like four. Isn’t it quite unusual to have a flower with only two petals? The enchanter’s nightshade is growing in a damp, shady area adjacent to the area where the spring trickles into a culvert underneath the lane. It’s much nicer having this dark green plant alongside the lane than the dreaded poison ivy!

White yarrow growing in the gravel of the lane where is gets more shade than sun. The direct sunlight it does receive is during noontime.